Milan Slouch in Blue Sky Fibers Eco-Cashmere - 201820 - Downloadable PDF

Milan Slouch Hat Knitting Pattern by Nancy Ekvall in Blue Sky Fibers Eco-Cashmere

The Milan Slouch is a beautifully relaxed, wide-ribbed slouch hat designed by Nancy Ekvall as part of Blue Sky Fibers' Traveler Series. Knitted in the brand's luxurious Eco-Cashmere yarn, this hat is described as extraordinarily soft — a natural result of working with a blend of recycled and virgin cashmere fibers. The pattern is rated Advanced Beginner, making it an accessible and rewarding project for knitters who have moved past the basics and are ready to work in the round with both circular and double pointed needles.

What Is Being Made

The Milan Slouch is a generously sized, slouchy knit hat with a wide ribbed body and an optional pom-pom topper. It comes in one size with a finished circumference of 18 inches and a height of 13½ inches when unfolded. The wide rib construction gives the hat a stretchy, form-fitting quality while allowing the crown to billow softly into that classic slouch silhouette. The brim width is adjustable, allowing knitters to personalize the fit and style to their preference.

Colorways Featured

The pattern showcases two colorways from the Blue Sky Fibers Eco-Cashmere line:

• No. 1802 Silver Bell — used as Color A in one version
• No. 1807 Gold Rush — used as Color A in the alternate version

A contrasting Color B is used optionally for the pom-pom, adding a playful pop of color to the finished hat. This two-color approach gives knitters a simple way to personalize their project without adding complexity to the main knitting.

Yarn and Materials

The primary yarn used is Blue Sky Fibers Eco-Cashmere, a DK weight yarn with a fiber content of 50% Recycled Cashmere and 50% Virgin Cashmere. Each hank contains 50g and 164 yards. The main hat requires 2 hanks of Color A, with 1 additional hank of Color B needed if you choose to make the optional pom-pom. The use of recycled cashmere makes this a more sustainable luxury choice without sacrificing the incredible softness that cashmere is known for.

Additional materials required include:

• Size 6 (4.0mm) 16-inch circular needle, or size needed to obtain gauge
• Size 6 (4.0mm) double pointed needles, or size needed to obtain gauge
• A stitch marker to mark the beginning of rounds
• A tapestry needle for finishing and weaving in ends
• A 9.0cm pom-pom maker for the optional pom-pom embellishment

Techniques and Construction

The Milan Slouch is worked entirely in the round, beginning on a 16-inch circular needle and transitioning to double pointed needles as the crown decreases reduce the stitch count. This is a standard technique in hat knitting that allows seamless construction from brim to crown without any seaming. Working in the round is an ideal skill-builder for Advanced Beginner knitters, as it introduces circular needle use and the transition to DPNs in a manageable, low-stakes project.

The body of the hat is worked in a wide rib stitch pattern, which creates the hat's characteristic stretch and texture. Ribbing is one of the most fundamental knitting techniques, alternating knit and purl stitches in a regular sequence to produce a fabric that contracts and expands horizontally. This elasticity is what allows a single size to fit a range of head circumferences comfortably.

Stitches Used

The following stitches and techniques are used in this pattern:

• Knit (k) — the foundational knit stitch used throughout the ribbing and body